BrandNewDawn

Linda, You are fabulous at fifty. I am so sorry to hear about your difficult year. I wish you so much happiness in 2011. You look absolutely beautiful. Dawn

I have been banded about 2 and a half years now. I started at around 230 and got down to 175 but I kind of go up and down about 10 pounds depending upon the time of year and my activity level. I would still like to lose some more weight but would need to exercise more and give up some foods that I just don't want to give up right now. I have had only 2 fills and I had to go right back and have my second fill removed because I was too tight. I have less restriction than when I had my fill but after my "too tight" experience, I was not in a hurry to go back and get any more fills. There are things that I do not like about my lap band but I know I would be right back up to 230+ without it. I like maintaining (even if I am still "overweight" on a BMI chart) rather than gaining and constantly fighting the appetite. I can breathe better, I sleep better, I have more energy, I generally feel healthier than I did at 230. I come back to read the forums usually a few times a week. Many of the people who posted on the forum back when I was banded have moved on. I enjoy reading the updates from the people who were banded around the same time I was and of those banded before me who were inspirational to me when I first started. I will continue to read the forum. Maybe we will see some more "oldtimer" updates. Take care and have a blessed holiday! Dawn

I can eat bread and rice, at least on some days and at some times of the day. Just depends, usually only my evening meal. Rice, maybe 1/4 cup and bread, a few bites (sometimes more) at the end of the meal. I do not keep my lapband tight though. I agree with Angie, you might have some irritation and swelling and should just take it easy a few days. Then start small, SMALL bites too, think toddler size and chew (I used to count to 30) before swallowing. I would skip trying to eat bread until you can manage protein and vegies/fruits. It is supposed to be the last thing we eat anyway (if we have room) and I think that is because it is so troublesome for so many of us. Good luck with your band.

Congratulations!! So very happy for you. What a special blessing. Take care of yourself.

jojobeans, It is my understanding that some minor band slips can be repaired. A slipped band can be replaced after the healing process is complete if the patient wants to replace it. I have read that if you have had a slipped band, it makes it more likely that you may slip again. I do not know if any actual medical research has been done to support this theory. A band slip does not mean that there was anything "faulty" about the band itself. Nicole, Good to hear from you. I have gained back 10 pounds from my lowest and that was with my band (although kind of loose). I would be lost without it. Best wishes for maintaining what is still a substaintial amount of weight loss. Take care.

Carrie, Hey, the holidays are hard. All those extra holiday foods that only come around once a year. Everybody (even "normal" people) gain weight around the holidays. Don't get so down on yourself. Make your goal to get through the holidays without gaining any weight and then get back on track with the New Year. I know you can do it. Dawn

Yeah, What is it about the holidays and this forum!!! Last year, the same thing. Personally, I have always felt that there is room for everyone's opinion, if you don't like what they say, ignore it and move on. Using the search feature is valuable for the wealth of information it provides for those who want to take the time to read. And asking the question over and over is okay too, because the forum always has new people with new experiences to talk about, plus it builds new relationships between new and old members. If you don't want to read/reply to a post, no one is making you. Sure,some of the posts get old to those of us who have been around awhile, I agree with Pammie about the "am I too tight" posts but I usually do not read them. People do seem a bit sensitive on this forum, especially to anyone who does not agree with them. But, it is what it is... Dawn

Angie, Hey, I'm still around, just been busy as well as maintaining the same 40 pound weight loss for the last year and not losing any more even though I need to. So, most of the time, I really feel like I do not have much of anything to add to what is being said on the forums by people still in their active weight loss phase. I'm happy to hear that you got your restriction back. My band is fickle like that too,so is my husband's. I think that is just part of the having a lapband. I have not had a fill in over a year and there are days when I PB or slime. Most of mine is from not chewing enough or taking too big of a bite or not waiting long enough between bites, occasionally, I try to eat more than I should. Just poor eating behavior and I'm almost 2 years into this. Without this band I would still be 225 or heavier. I probably need a fill to lose more weight but I'm really just not interested in EVER being too tight again. Most meals I can eat about a cup of food before I get that soft stop feeling, that would be like some meat, some vegetables, small amount of starchy food like beans, rice, mashed potatoes. On the days I can only take a few bites, I get annoyed because I know myself well enough that if I am NOT getting good, solid, nutritious food down, I'm going to substitute some slider food which is not good. So, I really hate the days when I cannot eat food. I started exercising more but it still has not budged me off my plateau so until I can figure out how to "diet" successfully, I guess I am stuck here. I do not consider myself a lapband success but I am not a lapband failure either, somewhere in between I guess. Anyway, good luck with the restriction, hope it works out well for you. Dawn =)

LisaBen, I have been reading on this forum since March 2008 and the swelling and needing to have some fill removed seem pretty common. I think their is a fine line between "sweet spot" restrictiona and being too tight. I also think that the "too tight" fill is the one that works the best for rapid weight loss. And, many lapband patients are looking for quick results and are willing to tolerate the tight restriction required for rapid weight loss. The only thing is, that tight restriction can cause the swelling and the need for unfills. And, if you go back in for another fill without letting all of the swelling go down, you end up right back in the same situation but patients want their fill back because they gain weight without it or stop losing (like me). It is a vicious cycle. You can end up slipping your band from being too tight for too long. Congrats on losing 120 pounds. That is great! Good for you for being able to maintain your weight without a fill. Hopefully, the longer you can go without a fill, the more the swelling will go down so that if you ever need a fill, you will okay. Good luck.

I've always had a sweet tooth. Even as a kid, I liked the sugar cereals and the snack cakes more than real food, and I used to eat ice cream sundaes for lunch instead of lunch (only occasionally) so I do not find myself craving sweets anymore than what is "normal" for me. I find that I eat less sweets than I used to though and more salty, crunchy stuff which I used to be able to leave alone completely. I usually try to eat the healthy stuff that I need, but I know I won't make it through the holidays without an eggnog or pumpkin shake. All things in moderation! Kudos to all of you who can and do substitute "no fat, no sugar, no carb." To me, all of that equals "no taste" or that funny fake sugar after taste and the fake fat texture is all wrong. If I am going to eat it, it has to be the real thing or nothing at all. But, I know the only way for me to manage sweets is to not eat any at all and I have not been able to manage to do that yet!

Hey Carrie, Good to see you back. I have not tried to "go it alone" without a fill but I have not had a fill in more than a year now. I plateaued around March and then I ended up gaining weight over the summer (about 5 pounds) and I still have not gone for another fill. I have decided to try to lose the weight I gained over the summer in the traditional manner, better choices about eating and more exercise but so far, I have not been able to budge the summer weight. I still have restriction at 1.4 cc's in my 4 cc band. Some days, I have quite a bit of restriction and I am just not willing to go get another fill when I have days when I struggle to eat 3 meals. There are days when I think about getting fluid removed so that I can consistently eat three healthy meals a day and stop grazing/snacking because of never feeling full. But, I think that I would be right back with my bad eating habits if I had absolutely no restriction. Not good! I just don't know, I know I do not want to be too tight. I guess, at 50% of excess weight lost, I am successful but I would be happier with a greater percentage of weight loss but it seems the only way to do it is by being too tight (for me anyway) and I am just not willing to do that which leaves me the tradtional weight loss methods for the moment. I still have the band restricting me and I guess I really need to learn to eat better.

I thought it was a little too much information and I can see the dramatic writing style might have scared off some people. However, I understand it can hurt to have food stuck. I do not get food stuck very often after 18 months of having my lapband but it does still occasionally happen. Sometimes I do not even really know why. I guess I have never had something stuck in the way it was described in the post, whatever is stuck usually comes right back up with little effort and it is usually a small amount, like the last bite or two. But each of us are affected differently by our bands. I also do not have problems with anxiety but I can understand how that could cause a stuck session to seem worse, especially if you get your breathing all messed up. Once again, it is important to emphasize that we are all going to "react" differently to stuck food. The lapband is a unique experience for all of us. Stormy, I hope you are feeling better.

Wow! someone must be really bored at work today. Five (5) newbies between 10:00 and 1:30 all posting in this incredibly interesting thread about nothing. Fascinating!

No, like Lindsay I was concerned about being turned away and needing to re-schedule and I did not want that to happen. Also, I felt that following the pre-op diet was the beginning of my commitment to the necessary lifestyle changes I needed to make in order to get my eating under control The pre-op diet is also supposed to shrink your liver and make surgery safer and easier for you and your surgeon. Will you find people on the forum who overate the night before surgery? Of course you will. It seems like lately there are more than the usual number of posts dedicated to telling all. And while I personally do not have any issue at any time with how people want to manage their lapbands, I do not really want/or need to hear about how we continue our same old patterns. I find our successes much more uplifting than our failures. But, maybe that is just me. Good luck with your surgery.

I continued drinking with my meals after I first got my band. I thought it would not make any difference since I did not even have a fill in my band yet! Well, when I went for my first fill 6 weeks later at OCC, sure enough, the doctor asked me if I had been drinking with my meal because my pounch was "a little bit stretched." And...that was without any fill in my band at all. I completely stopped the drinking while eating behavior at that point and the next time I had my pouch checked under flouro, it had gone back to normal. Obviously, that is just my story but, a stretched out pouch can require surgery to repair so there are definitely possible consequences for filling your pouch full of liquid when there is food in your pouch blocking the ability of the liquid to drain. If it does not come back up, then it sits and expands your pouch like a baloon until the food passes and the liquid can drain. Like everything else involved in managing a lapband, it is always up to the individual. Drinking while eating is a learned behavior. You can learn a new behavior to take the place of the old behavior if you want to.

Nicole, I am happy to hear that you are able to eat and drink normally again and that you suffered no permanent damage due to your band slipping. Sorry to hear about the all the extra holes but it makes sense that they would not use the same holes. Best wishes to you. Keep in touch. Dawn

Eddie, My husband has a lapband but like Stormy's husband, he does not participate on the forum. He has lost between 35 and 45 pounds (he bounces up and down). He looks great and feels better too. I know that does not sound like that much but he had a lower BMI to start and now he is able to maintain his weightloss better. I see guys on here from time to time, not too much though. Good luck with your surgery.

I like unjury protein powders. You can order them (online only) at unjury.com. You have to mix it yourself so it is not as convenient as pre-mixed, ready to go shakes. You can order small samples of all the flavors to try before committing to the large container. They have an unflavored one that mixes well with crystal lite or other beverages and you will barely notice it is there. They have chocolate, vanilla, strawberry sorbet, the unflavored one and a chicken broth flavor. The texture is very smooth and it does not thicken if left standing. I do not know if it is a meal replacement bar, but my husband and I like the Zone bars they sell at Costco. The chocolate one is really good. I have lost 45 pounds without weighing or measuring food. I'm really not a good dieter, never have been so I got my lapband to leave all of that weighing, measuring, counting points, carbs, fat grams, protein grams, and all of that dieting behind...but you do have to follow the rules, protein first, vegies/fruits, starch (if you have room) and you can cheat with a lapband so you do have to be aware of what/how much you are putting in your mouth. Also, if you do not get good restriction right off (and most do not) you will be using your own willpower to control your portions until you get the restriction you need. The lapband is a process, you learn as you go. As you lose, you will have to make adjustments. Right now, I have been at this weight since March and cannot seem to get off this plateau so I'm going to add more exercise and take a look at what I can eliminate from my diet. You have to be careful with liquid calories or you can really sabotage your weight loss efforts. Even if you do not order, the unjury web site has some good information and recipes for protein shakes. Good luck. Take care.

Sassy, Here is a link to this topic from last week: http://www.lapbandforum.com/index.php?showtopic=11038 Some good information in there. Take care.

Nicole, I am sorry to hear that your band is going to be removed. The most important thing right now is for you to get some relief from the pain you have been suffering and get your nutrition built back up. Especially with the winter cold/flu season coming up. You need to get healthy. Please do come back and let us know how you are doing. Take care of yourself. I pray you heal fast and that you are feeling better soon. Dawn

I have a book that says a bite should be "about the size of the tip of your index finger." That is bigger than a standard pencil eraser and is easy to visualize since we all carry our index fingers around with us anyway. I consider "tip of index finger" to be the area covered by our fingernail in length, and the width and depth of that fingernail area. Mine is about 1/2 inch wide and long and slightly less deep. That might be too large of a bite for some people but I have always thought the pencil eraser comparison was too small as well. The more restriction you have, the smaller your bites will need to be and those bites still need to be chewed well (20-30 times). Count it if you need to until you get used to chewing thoroughly. It is realistic to practice smaller bites because once you have restriction, too large of a bite or poorly chewed food/eating too fast will stop you up right away and either come back up or cause you pain/make you uncomfortable until it can pass through your small pouch opening. Good luck with your surgery.

Nicole, I am so sorry to hear about your trouble. I can completely sympathize with you. I was too tight for just a few weeks and with the acid reflux and the lack of sleep and nourishment and hydration, it did get old fast. I was ready to have it out if it could not be fixed. Lucky for me the swelling went down right away. And, you have been fighting this for way longer than I can even imagine putting up with. Anyway, I hope you feel better soon and that you can save your band. Best wishes with whatever you decide to do. Dawn

I started slowing down around 50% of excess weight lost (40 pounds) and came to a screeching halt at around 60% of excess weight lost (45 pounds). So, now I need to up my exercise and start eliminating some foods from my diet OR get a fill which I really do not want to do BECAUSE I still have morning restriction and on some days I have restriction ALL day.

If you follow all of the rules and exercise, you will lose weight. Whether or not you will lose ALL of the excess weight that you want to lose will depend upon how committed YOU are to your lifestyle changes. In the world of weight loss surgery studies, a good result is a loss of at least half of your excess weight and a reduction in obesity related health problems. Our own expectations may differ considerably though. There are just so many personal factors involved in your question that really no one can answer it for you. It all depends on you and on your personal goals. How you define your success. Some people would be happy to lose 50 of the 75 pounds that they needed to lose and others could lose 100 pounds and still be unsatisfied and unhappy because they think they need to lose 15 more. We all come into this with a different perspective on what success is and we are all going to go about achieving our goals in our own individual ways. No two people are going to "manage the lapband" the same way. People do gain weight back after lapband surgery just like other weight loss surgeries. You can cheat with a lapband. People do plateau. Some people never get fills and fail to use their lapband in that respect. Some people do not follow the rules. I DO NOT consider this as a lapband NOT working but as a lapband patient NOT working/using their lapband the way it was intended. The lapband will not fail, the lapband patient can and may fail to utilize their tool or even abuse their tool until it has to be removed or is rendered useless. And, of course, their will always be a certain small percentage of people who may reject the band through no fault of their own. This is a rare complication! In my opinion, the lapband will work if it is cared for properly and used as instructed. Dawn